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Abstract— Music is known to have positive effects on
humans, enhances learning and aids the healing process. This
paper presents the outcomes of a preliminary research that
investigates a subject’s reaction when exposed to live violin
music. An electroencephalogram machine (EEG) and a
computer was used to observe and record the subject’s
brainwaves activities in three phases; before, during, and after
listening to violin music in order to compare the subjects
brainwaves reaction during this three phases/conditions.
Preliminary results from this investigation indicate that while
listening to a live performance of violin music, the subject’s
brain induced both left and right brainwaves (theta, alpha and
beta brainwaves) to be balanced. The study points to a possible
relationship between frequency and power emitted by live
music in affecting human brainwaves, suggesting further
research in this domain.
I. INTRODUCTION
Different types of sounds can be heard in our surroundings.
Some sounds are soothing while others may be irritating or
even hazardous. Music is sound organized in varying
rhythmic, melodic and dynamic patterns performed on
different instruments. Much research has been conducted
on the effects of music on learning [1-5] and its therapeutic
role during rehabilitation [6-11]. Past studies have
demonstrated that music not only affects humans but also
impact on animals [12, 13], plants [14] and bacterial growth
[15].
Each type of sound has its own range of frequencies and
power, affecting listeners in positive or negative ways.
Organized sound in Western Classical music is generally
soothing to the human ear. On the other hand, very loud
sounds or noise, which emits power of more than 85 dB may
cause permanent hearing loss in humans when exposed
continuously to it for a period of more than eight hours [16].
Unwanted sounds are unpleasant to humans and may cause
stress and hypertension [17] as well as affect the cognitive
function of children [18].
Sound in the form of music has been used positively in
Manuscript received April 20th, 2012. This work was supported in part
by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), Malaysia,
JPTS(BPKI)2000/09/01JLD.11(S2) 09/01JLD.11(S2).
N. Buniyamin is with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University
Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam,40450, Malaysia, (phone: 603-
5543-6082; fax: 603-5543-5077; e-mail: nbuniyamin@salam.uitm.edu.my).
H. Hassan, is with the Fac. of Elect. Eng., University Teknologi MARA,
Shah Alam,40450, Malaysia, (e-mail:hasminda.hassan@gmail.com)
Z.H. Murat is with the Fac. of Elect. Eng., University Teknologi MARA,
Shah Alam,40450, Malaysia, (e-mail: zunairahh@yahoo.com )
V. Ross is with the Fac. of Music, University Teknologi MARA, Shah
Alam,40450, Malaysia, (e-mail: vross@salam.uitm.edu.my)
enhancing brain plasticity. Research has shown that listening
to particular types of music can aid learning and encourage
creativity in humans [19]. Music has been used in medical
treatment such as improving mental illness [10], reducing
anxiety and stress during medical treatments [6-8, 11, 20-
23], enhancing spatial-temporal reasoning [24, 25],
generating higher brain functional skills in reading, literacy,
mathematical abilities and enhancing emotional intelligence
[2-5, 26]. Sound stimulation has even been used in the
sterilization process [27, 28] and the growth of cells and
bacteria [14, 15]. Hence, literature points to the positive
effects of music on humans and its unique role in the
learning process.
This study explores the calming effect of music by
inducing the alpha band in human brainwaves. The alpha
band indicates the listener’s relaxed mood, thus promoting
calmness [9]. This state aids the process of capturing
information, thereby enhancing learning. Also, a relaxed
mood suggests a lower level of anxiety.
The purpose of this experiment is to study the reaction of
a human brain towards sounds heard from live violin music.
This instrument has been known to stimulate creativity
among many eminent thinkers including Einstein and
Thomas Jefferson [29]. The violin was created in early 16th
century [30]. It is said to have the highest frequency range
amongst stringed instruments, ranging from 200Hz to 3.5
kHz [31].
It is hypothesed that listening to live violin music may aid
learning [32] by triggering the alpha wave and activating the
left and right brain simultaneously.
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Sounds and Brainwave Bands
Sounds made by humans can be divided into verbal sound
such as speaking and singing and non-verbal sound such as
footsteps, breathing and snoring. Even without visual
information, sound recognition abilities by humans and
animals assist in detecting behaviorally relevant events [33].
Sound emerges when the vibrations of an object trigger
the air surrounding it to vibrate, and this in turn causes the
vibration of the human eardrum signaling the brain to
interpret it as sound. Technically, a sound wave is any
disturbance that is propagated in an elastic medium which
may be a liquid, solid or gas and can be perceived by the
hearing sense of a human being [34]. Sound is transmitted
through a medium as longitudinal waves and transverse
waves where the wavelength is expressed as (1):
A Preliminary Study on the Effects of Music on Human Brainwaves
Hasminda Hassan , Zunairah Haji Murat, Valerie Ross and Norlida Buniyamin
2012 International Conference on Control, Automation and Information Sciences (ICCAIS) ME02
978-1-4673-0813-7/12/$31.00 ©2012 IEEE 176
(1)
Sound waves are usually visualized as sine waves and
they have fixed frequencies and amplitudes, perceived as
pure tones. Most sound waves consist of multiple overtones
or harmonics and can be represented mathematically, as
follows (2):
2
(2)
Where:-
p(t) : Instantaneous, incremental, sound pressure (above
and below atmospheric pressure)
po : Maximum amplitude of the instantaneous sound
pressure
f : Frequency (the number of cycles per second) (Hz)
t : Time (s)
Sound waves comprise of pure tones (single frequency), a
combination of single frequencies which are harmonically
related and also a combination of single frequency which are
not harmonically related either as finite or infinite in
numbers. The frequency of sound can be determined by
dividing the velocity of sound by its wavelength. The
emission of sound-source into the surrounding air will
produce a measurable amount of sound power (W) [34],
expressed as (3):
4
(3)
Where:-
: total sound power radiated by source (Watts)
Is : maximum sound intensity (W/m2)
r: distance (m)
Sound intensity is defined as a continuous flow of power
carried by sound waves. A normal person’s ear responds to
sound pressure at 105 or more. The sound power level may
be mathematically derived, as (4):
10
(4)
Where:-
W = sound power (Watts)
W0 = reference sound power (10-12 W)
B. Frequency Bands in Human Brainwaves
Electrical impulses are generated by parallel-working
neurons in the human brain. The synchronization of neurons
enhances the potential (amplitude) of electrical oscillations
while the speed of these neurons plays a role in enhancing
the frequency of these oscillations. These two parameters,
namely, amplitude and frequency, act as the primary
characteristic of brainwaves [35].
The fundamental brain patterns of an individual are
obtained by measuring the subject’s brain signals during
his/her relaxed condition. Brain patterns usually form
sinusoidal waves that range from 0.5µV to 100µV peak-to-
peak amplitude [36]. During the activation of a biological
neuron, this complex electrochemical system is able to
generate electrical activity, represented in terms of waves
comprising of four frequency bands, namely, Delta, Alpha,
Theta and Beta [37].
Previous studies have determined that among these four
groups, the Beta band has the highest frequency with the
lowest amplitude while the Delta band has the lowest
frequency with the highest amplitude [37]. The Alpha and
Beta waves reflect a conscious or awake state of mind while
Delta and Theta waves indicate the unconscious state [35].
Table 1 illustrates the brainwave bands and their relation to
amplitude, frequency and functions [35, 37].
TABLE I
THE BRAINWAVE BANDS AND RELATION TO AMPLITUDE,
FREQUENCY AND FUNCTIONS
Brainwaves Frequency
(Hz)
Amplitude
(µV)
Functions
Delta
0.1 – 3
Highest
Instinct :
Survival, Deep Sleep,
Coma, Dreaming
Theta
4 – 7
High
Emotion :
Feelings, Dreams,
Drowsy, Idea-ling
Alpha
8 – 12
Low
Consciousness :
Awareness of body,
Integration of feelings,
Relax
Beta
13 – 40
Lowest
Concentration
Thinking, Perception,
Mental Activity, Alert
The Delta band, with its lowest frequency (0.1 – 3Hz)
and highest amplitude is particularly active in infants during
the first few years of life [38]. It is also known as a key state
for healing, regeneration and rejuvenation. The Delta state ,
often referred to as being in ‘deep sleep’, stimulates the
release of human growth hormones which heightens the
synthesis of proteins and mobilizes free fatty acids to
provide energy [39]. Delta brainwave conjures an anesthetic
pseudo-drug effect [40].
Theta (4 – 7Hz) is sometimes said to have the same
anesthetic pseudo-drug effect as the Delta band during its
lowest frequency (example, 4Hz) [40]. It is a state when a
person is having a daydream or a short break after certain
task, or unable to recall their short-term memory.
Unlike Delta and Theta, the Alpha (8-12Hz) band usually
appears when a person is in a conscious condition [35, 37],
such as when a person takes a break after completing a
certain task. The Alpha state is activated during a calm and
relax condition [9]. During this state, the human brain can
easily interpret data and absorb most of the data because of
the relax-but-aware brain mode. For this reason, studies on
177
the effects of music towards learning will normally focus on
the Alpha brainwave.
On the other hand, the Beta brainwave is active when a
person is doing a task that requires him/her to think and
concentrate [35, 37]. It is a characteristic of a strongly
engaged mind such as a person in active conversation.
III. PRELIMINARY EXPERIMENT
In this preliminary study, the experiment took place in the
Biomedical Research and Development Laboratory for
Human Potential, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). The
main objective of this experiment was to study the response
of human brainwaves when exposed to live music played by
a violinist. Violin music from the Baroque period (Bach)
was played for five minutes and a subject’s brainwaves
activities were recorded using EEG. The apparatus used for
this experiment were an EEG machine, electrodes with
conductive paste, violin and computer. Figure 1 is a
schematic diagram that shows the procedure used for EEG
data acquisition.
Fig. 1. EEG Data Acquisition Procedure
The subject was attached to electrodes with conductive
paste. Two channels of bipolar connections were connected
to both ear lobes and the left and right sides of the forehead.
Channel one of the bipolar connections was used to capture
the right brainwave while channel two was dedicated to
capture the left brainwave.
Before listening to the performance, the subject was
directed to remain calm and relaxed for three minutes while
the initial condition of the subject’s brainwaves was
recorded. The violinist was instructed to play for five
minutes while subject’s brainwaves signals were recorded.
After listening to the performance, the subject was again
directed to remain calm and relaxed for three minutes to
record the EEG signals. During the EEG signal recording,
the subject was directed to minimize movements and remain
static in order to secure an accurate reading. All readings
were recorded and analyzed. Figure 2 shows the subject’s
position during EEG data acquisition.
Fig. 2. Subject attached to EEG while listening to live violin music
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The results were collated and analysed. Figure 3 indicates
that the initial brainwave signals from the subject were
imbalance for delta, theta and alpha. However for the beta
band, both left and right brain produced a balance signal.
Based on the result, it can be concluded that the subject is
right brain dominant, however the difference between the
subjects’s left and right brain differs by only 1µV.
Fig.3. The EEG Mean Value Before Listening to Violin Music
Figure 4 indicates that while listening to the performance,
the subject reacted in a positive manner whereby both sides
of the brain produced a balance signal. By refering to the
increment value of signals produced by both the left and the
right side of the brain, this result indicates that there is an
activity in the brain that connects the brainwave signals
produced by the subject’s brain, with the frequency and
power produce by the violin sounds. It shows that sounds
emitted from the violin helps in balancing both the left and
the right brain. A balanced brain is one of the key areas in
achieving a balanced lifestyle and healthier living [41].
However, the effects of the music do not last long as can
be seen in Figure 5 where both the left and the right brain
signals began to be imbalanced during the relaxation period
of three minutes after listening to the music. This may be
due to the short period of exposure to the music. However,
the mean value captured, as shown in Figure 5, indicates that
the difference of left and right brain signals has increased.
delta theta alpha beta
left 12 10 14 8
right 13 11 15 8
0
5
10
15
20
mean, µV
EEG Mean Value Before
Listening to Violin Music
178
Fig.4. The EEG Mean Value During Listening to Violin Music
Fig.5. The EEG Mean Value After Listening to Violin Music
V. CONCLUSION
Based on the experiment, there is a possibility that at one
point during the live performance, the violin’s frequency and
power attracted the brain’s signal and aligned this signal to
induce a positive effect by balancing the left and right
brainwaves. This outcome suggests that listening to live
violin music may help in improving a person with left- hand
side dominance to increase their right-hand side dominance
by increasing balance between both brain hemispheres.
VI. WAY FORWARD
Further studies are needed to establish the relationship
between listening to live music and its effects on human
brainwaves. The next stage of this study focuses on the
effects of the frequency and sound power of a traditional
string instrument, namely the Rebab , widely used in healing
rituals in Kelantan, Malaysia [42] and comparing their
effects with that of the violin within a larger sampling frame
using EEG.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to thank staff from the Biomedical
Research and Development Laboratory for Human Potential
UiTM for their support throughout the experiment. The
authors gratefully acknowledge and thank the Ministry of
Higher Education (MOHE) for providing a grant, “Skim
Geran Penyelidikan Fundamental (FRGS) Fasa1/2011”,
(600-RMI (5/1), JPT.S(BPKI)2000/09/01JLD.11(52) for this
project. Thank you also to Univ. Teknologi MARA (UiTM)
for partially funding this project under the Excellence Fund
Scheme. (600-RMI/ST/DANA/5/3/DsT(379/2011).
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